Mississippi NRCS Announces Conservation Stewardship Program (CSP) FY2026 Signup

NRCS Announces Conservation Stewardship Program (CSP) FY2026 Signup

Jackson, Miss., Sept. 29, 2025 -The U.S. Department of Agriculture's (USDA) Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) provides financial assistance through the Conservation Stewardship Program (CSP) to farmers, ranchers and forest landowners for expanding conservation activities on their operation through the adoption of new technologies and management techniques while maintaining agricultural production on their land.

NRCS Mississippi State Conservationist, Kurt Readus, announced today that the last day to submit CSP applications to be considered for Fiscal Year (FY) 2026 funding is Friday, Oct. 31, 2025.

"CSP continues to be a very effective tool for agricultural producers working to enhance their conservation and management goals," said Kurt Readus, NRCS state conservationist in Mississippi. "It is the largest conservation program in the United States with more than 70 million acres of productive agricultural and forest land enrolled in CSP."

While CSP applications are accepted throughout the year, interested producers should submit their application to the local NRCS office by 4:30 p.m. on Friday, Oct. 31, 2025, to ensure the application is considered for FY 2026 funding. Additionally, please work with your local Farm Service Agency (FSA) to ensure that all eligibility documents, including the annual Adjusted Gross Income form, are up to date prior to Friday, Dec.12, 2025, to ensure all NRCS program eligibility requirements are met in order to compete for FY2026 funding.

In FY 2025, Mississippi NRCS provided over $65 million in financial assistance through the Conservation Stewardship Program to assist agricultural producers with expanding and enhancing existing conservation activities on their land.

To learn more about NRCS programs, producers can contact their local USDA Service Center. Producers can also apply for NRCS programs, manage conservation plans and contracts, and view and print conservation maps by logging into their farmers.gov account. If you don't have an account, sign up today.

For 90 years, NRCS has helped farmers, ranchers and forestland owners make investments in their operations and local communities to improve the quality of our air, water, soil, and wildlife habitat. NRCS uses the latest science and technology to help keep working lands working, boost agricultural economies, and increase the competitiveness of American agriculture. NRCS provides one-on-one, personalized advice and financial assistance and works with producers to help them reach their goals through voluntary, incentive-based conservation programs. For more information, visit nrcs.usda.gov.